Savvy Games Group, Saudi Arabian state-backed parent company behind the ESL FACEIT group and SNK, are reportedly set to purchase the MOONTON Games, creator of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
ByteDance, the current owner of MOONTON Games, are in talks with Savvy Games Group, in a deal worth around $6 billion USD, as per Reuters, who broke the story earlier today (Feb. 13). The deal would put Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and its associate esports ecosystem.
As reported by Reuters, who cited multiple anonymous sources, ByteDance is floating the sale of MOONTON as it attempts to move away from online gaming. In 2023, ByteDance had announced a restructuring of its gaming business, but in late 2024 stated MOONTON was not part of this initiative.
Now, in a dramatic reversal of that policy, MOONTON, and MLBB by proxy, seem destined for Savvy Games Group ownership. At the time of writing a timeline, exact sale figure, or additional details, are unknown.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is one of the biggest MOBA games on the market, and arguably the largest mobile title in the genre. By extension, MLBB remains one of the biggest mobile games in the world.
MLBB has been a fixture at the Esports World Cup (EWC), a tournament backed by the Saudi Arabian state and organized by Savvy Games Group subsidiary ESL FACEIT group for the past several years. Since 2024, the EWC has been integrated into the MLBB seasonal structure, with the MLBB Mid Season Cup taking place at the event.
Savvy Games Group, as mentioned, is a subsidiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The KSA’s government frequently faces criticism for its abysmal human rights record and the EWC and esports events like it are often referred to as “sports washing.” The collective prize money awarded at events held under the EWC umbrella is amongst the largest esports prize pools awarded.
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Featured Image Credit: MOONTON
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